Sylvia Mosqueda (born April 8, 1966 in Los Angeles, California) is an American long distance runner notable for hard front running over an extended career at an elite level. Early Success First as a high school athlete at San Gabriel High School she excelled in both Cross Country and Track, she then went to East Los Angeles College where she not only won the 800, 1500 and 5000, but set Community College records that have lasted over 20 years. and won the California Community College Cross Country Championships in record time. She first found national attention by accident, using the 1986 Los Angeles Marathon as a training run. The televised race focused on this unknown runner leading the way, far ahead of favorite Nancy Ditz, then suddenly dropping out almost 20 miles into the race. She had previously won the Run Across Los Angeles 10 mile race in similar fashion, just because it fell between her college seasons. Due to the notoriety from the previous year, Mosqueda again ran the 1987 L.A. Marathon, this time finishing the race in 2:37:46, good for 2nd place overall. That same year she also won the Philadelphia Distance Run Half-Marathon in 1:10:47. She was named California College Athletic Association "Female Athlete of the Year" for 1987-1988. Next, Mosqueda went to Cal State Los Angeles, where she won the 1987 NCAA Cross Country Championship and at the 1988 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships won the 10,000 metres title, setting the NCAA national record of 32:28.57 in the process, a mark that stood for 30 years. As of 2015, she still holds the CSULA school records in all races from 800 meters to 10,000 meters. She was named the 1987 "Billie Jean King Woman of the Year. In 2007, she was selected into the Cal State L.A. Hall of Fame Olympic Trials Qualified by her L.A. Marathon run, she ran in the 1988 Olympic Marathon trials, darting to a minute and a half lead in the early stages. She paid the price for the early pace, being swallowed by the pack and dropping out exhausted at 18 miles. Her NCAA victory a few weeks later qualified her for the 10000 metres at the US Olympic Trials where she did not run at the same level, finishing 12th in the heats. In 1992, she again made the Olympic Trials in the 10000 metres, just missing